To Curse a Monk
by Crimson Demon
Summary: In which the entire group finds out about Naraku's newest incarnation, Inuyasha and Kagome come to a certain point in their relationship, and chaos is abundant.
1. Default Chapter

I am very sorry all, for taking so long to get this out. Life has been throwing curve balls at me, making it tough to get my thoughts in order. But here is the first (but short…) chapter in Miroku's Curse, the second in what I hope to be a three or even four story line. I have so many things going on in my life right now, that updates will be few and far between, but I will get this story done, and I hope it won't take too long. As some of you might know, my muse has a body, yet no name… and since I have no idea what to name her, I am hoping that one of you faithful readers will. The bio for me has changed, so ya might wanna check that out, since that is where the bio for my muse is. 

*****

Now, this is the sequel to Sesshoumaru's Curse, which takes place when Kagome and Inuyasha, etc. have almost half of the jewel shards. I wont be focusing so much on the shard hunt, as the different reactions with what is going on. Yes, this is humor, but there will be serious undertones as well. Yes, this is romance, so expect lots of fluff. I am in a fluff writing mode for a while… Hehe… 

One more thing, when I get to uploading chapter four, the following update will not be a chapter!!! It will be a review response to all of the reviews I have gotten since the end of Sesshoumaru's Curse, all the way to chapter four of this. I believe that is all I have to address right now, so have a good day, and please leave a review to tell me how I am doing…

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Miroku lay on the comfortable bed, in the large room that he had gotten for their group. The older man that owned this place had been eager to get rid of the evil "spirits" that haunted his inn, in exchange for food and rooms. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he pushed himself up to answer it. Sango stood before him, dressed in a more formal kimono then he had ever seen her wear. "Sango, you look amazing…" he murmured, examining her. "Absolutely exquisite…." 

Sango blushed, and he let her in. "I just was wondering if you would want to talk to me…" she said softly. "About what happened earlier…" She looked down in embarrassment.

"Hai Sango?" Miroku barely retrained his lecherous grin.

"Remember when Kagome died…almost died?" A nod. "And what she said before?" Another nod. "Well, houshi-sama?" 

Miroku let the smile creep on to his lips. "Sango, why do you insist on calling me houshi-sama? The entire group has been traveling for almost three years now, and you still call me that." 

Sango shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know…It…"

Miroku tipped her head up. "If you can answer why you always call me that, then I will stop asking every woman I meet to bear my child…" He offered, taking her hand in his. "And I will tell you what I told Kagome…"

Sango felt her heart pound in her chest, as she stared into his violet eyes, gulping. A sudden knock on the door made them both jump in surprise. A young girl of about 17 stood there, with auburn hair that reached down to her waist, and light green eyes. In a soft voice said, "My Lord Ryuu invites you to dinner now, if you so wish to come Sango-sama, Houshi-sama." 

Miroku let Sango's hand go, and followed, forgetting about what they had been talking about, in favor of the young girl who seemed to be a goddess, with her beauty. _Of course, no one compares to Sango…_He thought amused. Then he froze in horror. _Sango!_ He silently hissed, turning around to see her running toward Inuyasha's and Kagome's rooms. 

"It's too late Miroku…" Came the voice of the girl. He turned to her, and watched as she shook her head. "I actually thought that you had a chance with that girl, but no, you and your hardheadedness made it all impossible. If you had not gotten so distracted over a girl-child, then you might have the woman you are so in love with…" She gave a mischievous smile. "I think I shall 'help' you on your way…" 

Miroku's violet eyes widened. "What do you mean?" He inquired, nervous of the girl-child before him.

"I curse you…" The girl giggled, clapping her hands in amusement at her first three words. "Ohhhh. Those words send shivers up my spine every time! I curse you to have every woman you meet fall in love with you. Should you not realize what a _true_ treasure is, in one months time, then you will lose something very dear…Good luck!" 

A flash of blue light, and Miroku fell to his knees, and then collapsed in to unconsciousness. 

*

Kagome shivered, as she felt the rush of power flow through her veins. Inuyasha looked over from where he was digging through her bag, and then frowned. "Kag? What's wrong?" He asked, as she froze. "Kag?" His voice rose in volume. 

"Where's Miroku?" Kagome asked, softly. "I must speak with him." 

Inuyasha frowned, "Oi! What is your problem?" he walked over, and stood in front of her. "Hellooooo?" He cocked his head when he noticed her eyes were glassy and her breathing slower then usual. "Oi! Wench! WAKE UUUUUPPPP!" He shook her gently, and she seemed to snap out of it. "Why do you need to see Miroku? What was wrong with you just a second ago?" 

Kagome turned a bright and cheery face up to the half demon, and her eyes sparkled as she chirped, "I'm in love with him, I have to see him!" 

*

Sango had been sitting in her own room instead of heading for her best friends'. Tears tracked down her cheeks as she sat on her bed. "Why? What am I doing wrong?" 

A sudden flow of energy hit her body, and she winced. "Nani?" She whispered confused. Then her eyes turned glassy for a moment, and she murmured. "Miroku…" 

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Did I lose anyone? No? Good… Kinda was worried there. Hope you enjoyed, and please review, I need to know how I am doing, and plus, my mom and I have a competition going, to see who can get more reviews. My mom's current story is like 67 chapters long, and she hasn't even posted all the ones she has written. Her name on here is Krismarief, and she writes mostly 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Buffy' stories, with a smattering of others. Right now, she has almost 160, and I am at 260 in Sesshoumaru's Curse. But she has another story coming out, but she wont tell me when…so please review, both if ya want! 


	2. Fight

:::PLEASE READ:::

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On a slightly depressing note: One of the reasons I took so long to update, was that my grandfather has finally passed away. I don't mean 'finally' in a bad way, but rather, he was in a lot of pain, and such, so it was a relief to all of us when it was ended. I had to go to his funeral, and then there was a lot of things to take care of after. I missed a lot of school, because of it and since my grandmother is also sick with the disease called Alzheimer's. (For those who don't know, it causes many things, one of which is memory loss) She does not recognize any of us right now, and they say it is only going to get worse. So sorry about lack up speedy updates, but I am trying.

__

On a happier note- WOW!! Loads of reviews for only one chapter! Coolies! Thank you all so much for reading this, and reviewing, and I hope I continue to please! 

If any of you are having questions about the curse, just ask me, and I will do my best to answer them without giving away the story line. If you want, I would take a look at Aamalie's response, and see if that helps any!

And so far, for the names, I have gotten,

Kyuuki- from Amreld

Zerith or Zenratul- from Ghoul King

If anyone else wants to suggest names, or ideas for the story, I would appreciate it! Have a merry Christmas, Chanukah, or what ever you celebrate, and hope you continue to have a good year. 

(Shippou is at Kaede's…)

Miroku was rudely awoken by a growling demon straddling his waist, shaking him brutally. "You bastard! What in the hell did you do to Kagome? She won't shut up 'bout you, an' how she loves you! _Tell_ me whatcha did!" His eyes were dark with rage, and his breathing was harsh as he waited. 

Miroku blinked once, then again, trying to process the information given to him. "Nani…?" He managed before Inuyasha snarled and pressed his face near the monks. 

"What the hell did ya do to Kagome?!" He growled lowly, his teeth gritting as his grip tightened around the monks black and purple robes, digging through the material. At Miroku's' blank look, he punctuated each word with a shake. " What. The. _Hell_. Is. Wrong. With. _KA_-_GO_-_ME_?" 

"I do not know what you are talking about Inuyasha…" Miroku assured, while trying to pull off the clawed hands that were becoming steadily more dangerous to his health. Inuyasha released him, and stood up glaring down at the monk. 

"C'mon, what ever you did, you're gonna fix it too." He snapped, his footsteps loud as he stomped toward his room. "_C'mon_ bouzu!" 

They reached Kagome's room, where Inuyasha had taken a chair to bar the entrance. He reached forward to remove it, when he suddenly stopped, and stooped down, sniffing. "Damn it! That bitch…" He jerked away the chair, and flung open the door with a flourish. Indeed, there was no one in the room, but the window was open, and the curtains flapping. "C'mon, she's outside." He ordered, dragging the poor monk along. 

He leaped out the window with Miroku, and set him down. "Kagome! Where the hell are ya?" He called, sniffing, trying to discern where she was. 

"Miroku?" A soft voice inquired. Both spun around to find Kagome standing there with a smile on her lips. "Oh! It _is_ you!" She ran up to the monk, threw her arms around his neck, placing a warm kiss on his lips. 

Inuyasha froze in surprise, and astonishment. "The hell?" He murmured, before moving forward to pull them away. "Miroku you bastard, get away from Kagome!" He ordered, his tone making it clear he would accept nothing less then him obedience. Before he even had a chance to move, Sango ran up, and tackled Kagome away from the pleased monk, rolling atop the younger girl. 

"Get away from my man!" Sango bit out, holding down Kagome's wrists. Kagome froze for a moment, then began to fight angrily. "Inuyasha get this crazy witch away!" Sango yelled, and yelped suddenly as Kagome rolled them over, beginning to pull Sango's long brown hair. Curses and muffled screams were heard from the two girls as they fought each other on the dew damp ground. 

"You baka! He isn't….Ow!…. _yours_…HEY- let _go_ of me!" 

"He is too!" a yelp. "You little… don't _make_ me hurt you!"

Inuyasha kept his eyes fixed on the two as they fought, his the amber depths glowing partially in amusement, and a type of horrified fascination.

Miroku was in a similar state, his posture stiff as he watched the girls roll on the ground. "I feel like we should interrupt 'em or somthin'…" Inuyasha commented, not tearing his eyes away from the scene.

A mumbled "Mmm…noooo…" Was his only reply. Inuyasha shrugged, content to watch the two, as long as it didn't get too serious. 

Suddenly the battle stopped and two pairs of eyes fixed on Miroku, who froze like a deer in the headlights. "I know!" Sango shouted, sitting down. "Let Miroku pick which of us he likes more. I _know_ it will be me, but I just want to make it known." Sango shot a smug look at Kagome, and the younger girl stuck her tongue out. Sango narrowed her eyes, and dived across to her, trying to strangle the miko. 

Inuyasha rushed forward, and yanked Sango back, while Miroku held Kagome back. "Ha! He does love me more!" Kagome laughed at the pissed Sango as she fought against the hanyou's strong grip. 

"What is wrong with you two?" Inuyasha demanded over the yells of the girls. Miroku bit his lip, and then spoke up over the obscenities being screamed by the miko and the taijii. 

"Well….. A woman, kinda cursed me… don't know who she was… and she said that my curse would be for me to have every woman I meet to fall in love with me." Miroku tightened his hold on Kagome. 

"NANI?" Inuyasha let go of Sango, only to tackle Miroku, pushing Kagome out of the way. "You idiot! What were you thinkin'?" Inuyasha was pushed off by Miroku's feet connecting with his gut. A muffled grunt, and he leaped back on to the monk. 

"I didn't…" Miroku held out his staff for a bit of protection. "I didn't do it on purpose!" 

Inuyasha growled angrily. "Does it _look_ like I _giva_ shit if ya didn't?" He demanded, crouching menacingly. "I-"

"Inuyasha, Sit boy!!" Kagome snapped, her eyes becoming crystal clear for a moment, and then returning to the hazy state of before. 

Inuyasha ate dirt, and then lifted his head. _Kagome_? 

The miko darted forward, and hugged Miroku, kissing him, again. "I was so worried, I thought you would die!" Kagome sobbed, as she pulled away. 

Sango stalked over, and pulled back her fist, slamming it into Kagome's stomach. The girl stumbled back, and fell on to her behind, and Sango stepped in front of Miroku, who was stunned. "Miroku, if that little slut doesn't get in my way again, I would be happy to bear your child." She said, her voice almost snooty. She glared at the obsidian haired girl who was being held back by Inuyasha

"Don't! She is-" Kagome was stopped by Inuyasha jerking her against his body, angrily growling. 

"We need to figure out a way to get this to _stop_!" He managed, holding the angry girl close. Sango only snuggled further in to Miroku's grasp, a smile on her lips, as if she was the cat who had just gotten the cream. Miroku had a slightly dazed look on his features, his violet eyes flashing in the darkness. "_Well_? I'm waitin' for one of those ideas! What are we gonna do?" 

Miroku sighed, "I don't know. We can't exactly do anything as of this moment." 

"Well, I'm gonna take Kagome back to her time, maybe that'll do somthin'. In the meantime, you better find a way to get things back to normal, or I'm gonna fix you for good so you wont have to worry about having a heir…" The hanyou threatened, his voice making it clear that he would not hesitate to do as he promised. 

Kagome whimpered in his grasp, at his words. "Don't be so mean to Miroku, onegai…" 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "We're goin'- _now_…"

*

They made their way to the well house, and Inuyasha held a struggling Kagome close as he leaped in…only to hit the dirt ground. "Oh nooo…" He muttered, as Kagome gasped. "Not good. So definitely not good." Amber eyes turned down to Kagome, and he sighed. "Kagome, if I let you go when we get up to the top, do ya promise not to run off like some deranged idiot?" 

Shimmering brown eyes looked up at him, "Of course, Inuyasha!" She chirped, wrapping her arms around his neck. Inuyasha stayed there for a moment, frozen in time. "Hey-! Inuyasha-? Are we going back up to see Miroku-sama?"

The hanyou snapped out of it, and scooped her in to his arms, leaping out of the well easily, only to find a bored looking Sesshoumaru standing against a tree, his arms crossed, watching as the monk tried to ward off Sango from throwing herself at him. "Ah. You two have finally arrived after me wondering if some pathetic low level youkai had gotten you. My hopes and dreams are crushed." 

Inuyasha put down Kagome, and turned to his half brother with barely concealed disgust, "_For the love of_… why the hell are you here?" 

"I am here because you…require assistance, since your… inferior hanyou brain is unable to comprehend how to do the simplest things." Sesshoumaru watched as his brother's wench, Kagome darted forward to the monk who had currently letting Sango run her fingers through his hair, and bat her eyelashes. Sesshoumaru calmly stepped forward, and trapped Kagome against the solid wall of his chest, where she tried to fight, only to fail.

"Honestly Inuyasha, you can't even control your mate, how do you ex-" The full youkai was cut off by two things happening: Inuyasha growling at him, and Rin stepping out of the woods where she was suppose to be hiding. 

"Honestly Sesshoumaru, you cant even control that little brat, how do you-" Inuyasha stopped cold when Rin suddenly gasped, and ran up to the preoccupied monk. Both women stopped fighting to look down at the child, who clasped her hands together.

"Hi! Rin loves you!" The small girl stated firmly, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Review Responses- 

Pogue Mahone- Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy Sesshoumaru's Curse as well! 

Aamalie- Yes, Sango is already in love with Miroku, (or at least _I_ think she is…) those two are so perfect for each other, but neither one is willing to admit it. And the type of love that she has for him, is hidden, the love that the spell induces is a very deep one, one that you would have for the person you married, and had lived with all your life. Hope that clears up some things for you!

Elyndewen Starttree- Hey again!! I hope that is a good insane, and here's your update!

BelleDayNight- Thanks, and I will think about Sess taking Kagome away, but as I explained up top, this is going to be mainly a IY/K fic. (Along with M/S)

Evilfire4321- EVIL??? *tear* how can you say this is evil??? I'm hurt… *sob* Nah, I'm just joking, thanks for the review!

Helba- Not…Lol…

Rogue-cowgirl- Glad you liked Sesshoumaru's curse, and I hope you continue to enjoy this!

Ghoul King- Yeah! My fav. Ghost reviewer person is back! I hope that you see how I think that the curse is a good idea for our favorite monk, as the story goes on, but if you don't, look up to Aamalie's review response, maybe that'll clear things up a bit. Thanks for the names, so far only like two people have suggested them… bunch of lazy bums…

Chronogirl- Heya! Glad to see you are back! You're not stalking me are you??? J/K, hope I continue to please! 

SunStar713- Homework sucks don't it…ugh… Oh well, hope that you continue to update, and talk to ya later!

Amreld- Ya lazy bum, you didn't even sign in!! Lol. Just kiddin' I love ya! I like that name, I could call her Kyu for short!! *giggles insanely* Now as I read through your review again, I am struck with an overwhelming urge to retch all over my computer screen… Male youkai wanting to…screw…a girl Miroku…*barfs* Now I'm scarred for life, and I'll never get that image out of my head… _thanks a lot_…lol…

Kumaru Yeoman- I hope it's better then the last, I aim to please! :D

Fox_Demon_Girl- Don't worry, I try (for the most part) to keep main pairings the same…

Mr. Bunny-kins- Hope so!


	3. Rin!

Well, here I am all, back with another update! I am sorry, but I don't have enough time or energy to type out a response to all the wonderful reviews that you people gave me, but thank you so much! It is so nice to come home, and check the great reviews! I'm trying to update as fast as I can, but again, it's taking some time. Thanks for all of the condolences for my grandparents, and hope your families are doing good toooooooo. Thanks for staying with me through all this crap…irk…

"_What in the hell_…?" Inuyasha groaned under his breath, as Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, inspecting both the wide-eyed monk, and the little girl. "Hey squirt, ya might wanna back off or-" 

"Why you impudent _brat_…" Sango tried to pounce on the small girl who squealed and ran away. "Get back here you little-!"

"_Language_, human…" Sesshoumaru warned softly, eyes glinting. He let Kagome go and stepped forward to collect his small charge. "Rin, what did you say?" 

"Rin loves the tall one!" Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru, a cheery smile on her lips. Sango advanced forward, a scowl on her face, but was stopped by one cold look by Sesshoumaru, who then turned his attention back to the small girl. "He's really pretty!" 

Inuyasha choked on his laughter at the remark of Miroku being 'really pretty'. "I do not know what happened, but I do expect one of you to explain it to me, _now_, and _then_ we shall see what happens." Sesshoumaru spat venomously, and then placed a hand on Rin's shoulder to keep her from moving anywhere. 

"Stupid over there," A rude gesture over to Miroku, and then he continued talking. "Got himself cursed, so that every female that meets him falls in love with him. Little whelp probably got hit with the same damn spell." Inuyasha stated all of this information in one solid breath, and then surveyed the effect his information had on his normally stoic sister…er…brother. Sesshoumaru looked less then pleased with the new developments, and then for the icing on the cake Inuyasha couldn't help adding, "Do ya wanna know who did it?" 

"If it would help then yes, this Sesshoumaru would." Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on the young girl who was squirming to get away as they talked. 

"It was the-" The hanyou stopped when he was interrupted by Kagome stomping her foot and complaining._ Good…I don't really know…but it sure woulda pissed Sesshoumaru off, no doubt. _

"Great, now we have a little girl competing…I'm still going to get him, and it just means that one more will be getting their heart broken…" Kagome's voice cut through the conversation as the rest of them realized that she was standing there. "Humph…" 

"All right! This is enough." Miroku called out. "We need to get all of the girls…" He sighed before moving on. "_Away_ from me…there is no telling how far this spell will go. Already, both of them have fought each other, and I don't want to see if it will escalate to…" 

There was a pregnant pause, in which both girls shared venomous glares, and Rin stuck her tongue out at all. Sesshoumaru cocked his head, and with his tawny eyes dark, he asked, "Who won?" Sesshoumaru let a bit of amusement enter his voice. All of the group froze, and Inuyasha asked, in a perfectly serious voice.

"Did you just make a joke?" 

*

After a few minutes of discussion, Sesshoumaru agreed (somewhat doubtfully) to try out Inuyasha's theory that distance could be a way to get the curse to stop. Gathering up Kagome's supplies in her huge yellow bag, and trying to get the miko to come with them with out getting fried by her powers proved to be difficult. "Let me…_go_!" Kagome kicked Inuyasha hard in the shin as he dragged her off, and in to the woods. Rin was asleep in Sesshoumaru's arms, and it seemed as if nothing would wake her. 

"Ow you stupid wench, stop…OW! You bit me!" Inuyasha yelped for the tenth time that night, as Kagome's teeth clicked solidly together as she tried to bite him again- but missed as he quickly drew back. "Sesshoumaru- you bastard, help me!" 

Sesshoumaru rolled his amber eyes, (for the last hour and a half she had been at it, biting, kicking, and all manner of things) and kept on walking steadily. "I will not help you. Did you mark her yet? That would teach her submission." 

"Huh? Did I -what- her yet?" Inuyasha stopped grappling with the young girl as he waited for an explanation. 

"Father did not tell you of marking…" Sesshoumaru mused, shifting Rin to his other arm. "I wonder why…Did he not see it fit to tell you until a later time, but then was killed, or -" 

"Who the-KAGOME! WILL YOU STOP BITING ME?" Inuyasha yelled as Kagome bit his wrist. "It does hurt ya know!" 

"We shall stop here for the night, since you are so uneducated that you do not know the most simple of the youkai rules." Sesshoumaru set Rin down, and Inuyasha pushed Kagome forward, where she sprawled out on the ground with a 'oomph.' "Set up what you need human, and do not try to escape, or I will kill you." 

"Was that necessary?!" Inuyasha demanded, jerking his half brother away. "She _is_ gonna stay, or at least she'd _better_." 

"As I was saying brother, you never were informed of what a marking was?" Sesshoumaru inspected his claws, waiting for an answer. 

"No- it I was, I wouldn't be askin' now would I?" The hanyou asked scaldingly, making a face, as he sat down on the ground, keeping one ear trained on the girls. "Now what in the hell is 'marking'?" 

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms, and lay a hand on the Tenseiga, unconsciously fiddling with it. "A marking is used by both the male and the female youkai, as a sign of claim. If there is a dispute between two males on who the female belongs to, then there is a battle, in which the victor is allowed to mark the female, and the loser is not allowed to further challenge the mates."

"Yeah, but ya _still_ haven't told me what a mark _is_, Fluffy." Inuyasha glanced back at the girls, who had fallen asleep, inside of Kagome's sleeping bag. 

"Do not call me by that despicable name. A mark, as I said, simply put is a way of claim. The male is usually the one that places it on the female, but sometimes the female also does it in exchange. When mating, the male will place the mark on the female, usually on the neck." Sesshoumaru paused for a moment. "But it is more then just a simple bite mark. It is a binding of sorts, keeping the two souls forever intertwined. Father did it with my mother, but when she died, the mark disappeared. The female can also resist the marking, as the male can revoke his." 

__

So if I was to mark Kagome, then that bastard Kouga…Inuyasha nearly jumped up in joy. _He won't be able to say that Kagome's his woman anymore! She will be mine for good!_

Sesshoumaru watched as a myriad of emotions crossed over his half brother's face. Surprise, jealousy, and then pure male arrogance. "I take it that you are…pleased with the information…?" 

Inuyasha grinned broadly, his fangs flashing in the moonlight, as he nodded once, sharply. "So… if I was to mark Kagome…then that idiot wolf wouldn't be able to say that she was his?" A nod and then Inuyasha's face suddenly fell. _W-what if she don't want to be my mate? I mean…my _permanent_ mate- what if she rejects me? _

"You are worried that the girl will reject you…are you not?" Sesshoumaru pushed himself up gracefully off of the grass, and glanced at the sleeping girls. "You need not answer me, it is rather obvious. If she loves you as much as I have seen, then you have nothing to worry about. Now head back, I am going to scout around to make sure there are none who would try to do us harm while we rest."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and then realized something, "HEY!! If you-" The yell stopped when he heard Kagome sigh in her sleep, and when he realized that his half brother had gotten out of range of his hearing. "Bastard…" 

*

The next morning found Kagome grumbling softly. Sesshoumaru was walking ahead of the group, with Rin perched on his shoulder, while Inuyasha was behind, Kagome still in her sleeping bag, her face dark with anger and frustration. "Stupid hanyou…of all the…can't believe that you…" The grumbles continued, as she gave up and rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. Ever since early in the morning, they had been traveling, and to save trouble, (and bruises) Inuyasha had zipped up her sleeping bag, and decided to carry her in it, until they could find out what to do. She had fought for a bit, but he had only held her tighter.

"Quit whinin', you ain't as light as ya look…" Shifting his grip so she wouldn't slip he looked down when he didn't receive a response. Up ahead of him, he heard a soft 'thump', and his amber eyes widened. Rin had fallen off the shoulder of Sesshoumaru, and was lying sprawled on the ground. Kagome was barely breathing, her heart beating frighteningly slow. "K-Kagome? Kagome!!" Inuyasha set her down, and bent over her. "Kagome! Sesshoumaru-" 

Sesshoumaru was having his own problems, his small charge in almost the same condition. "Rin- Rin!" Flickering from cold to worried, his eyes remained fixed upon the child. 

"Oh Kami- Kagome- wake up…" Inuyasha pulled her unresponsive body in to his arms, and shook her gently. "C'mon…wake up!" 

Alright, I'm back with cliffies…*dodges the tomatoes thrown* HEY! Back off!!

A quick note, the pairings will be- Inuyasha/Kagome and Miroku/Sango 

At the end of Sesshoumaru's curse, the kiss was merely a 'thank you' and a way for Sesshoumaru to piss off his younger brother. Confused? Hope not, bye all!!


	4. Chapter 4

I do believe that I have my favorite name, sent in by Valinoa! Her suggestion was that I call my muse Catrin, which means Pure, in either Gaelic or Welsh(ish?)…I'm not sure… but I love the name, and since hers was my favorite, she gets a 5 chapter sneak peak at what's to come…Bwahaha! But, she's not allowed to tell anyone… Muhahaha…

Now, Valinoa, darling, you have to review, or I'll have to hurt you. She's one of the many people who don't review, but send me emails instead. Trust me, both are great!

Thanks also to Ghoul King, and Amerald for the names, I loved those too! 

****

Miroku curse 4

As if on cue, Kagome took a deep breath, and sat up wide-eyed, the sleeping bag slipping down to pool at her waist. "Oh Kami…" Kagome moaned, rubbing her temples. Inuyasha glanced over at Sesshoumaru and Rin, and saw Rin was sobbing in Sesshoumaru's arms, as the older youkai awkwardly patted her back. "Inuyasha…" Kagome leaned against him, curling her fingers in his haori and sniffling. 

"What the hell?" Inuyasha ran his fingers through her hair, and helped her get out of the sleeping bag, before holding her close again. "Kagome- are you…back to normal?" 

Sesshoumaru stood up, cradling the dark haired child in his arms. "I believe that it would be best to make all haste to our destination, before any more unwelcome… surprises happen to us as we travel."

****

*Back With Sango and Miroku*

Miroku threw himself back on to the bed with a sigh of exhaustion. All day, Sango had been making passes at him, and he, being the _good_ and _just_ monk that he was, refused to take advantage of the situation. At all… _really…_

I don't think that it would be in my best interests to…ahem…take advantage of Sango in her current state. Kagome would no doubt be furious, and Inuyasha would tear me limb from limb, and I would much rather keep those. Miroku idly fingered his prayer beads as he thought. _But why would the lady curse _me _of all people- with having every woman fall in love with me? In my eyes, it is not much of a curse. A minor annoyance, but… still. And who would have the powers to perform such a spell on anyone? Kagome might, with the proper training…Kikyo, I don't believe she could…oh dear Kami… The only person who would be…_

So lost in his thoughts, was he that he did not notice the door creak open, nor did he notice the slim figure creep in to his inky dark room. He did notice however, when he both felt and heard the bed creak, as if a person was climbing on. _What in the name of Buddha…oh no…_

Dark brown eyes gleamed above him, as Sango knelt beside him, and he silently cursed all of the gods that seemed to be allied against him. "S-Sango, what are you doing?" Breathlessly, he tried to back away, only to find that his back was against the back of the bed. A coy smile on Sango's lips as she bent down to kiss him lightly made him jerk away. "Sango… Sango, listen to me… We really, really don't want to do this right now… trust me, this wouldn't-mmph."

****

Back with Inuyasha, Kagome, Rin, and Sesshoumaru

"Mmm…what the…?" Kagome rolled over when she felt the covers of her sleeping bag roll back, and the cold air hit her body. Shivering, she sunk back further in to the hanyou who lay behind her. "Rin-chan is that you?" An affirmative sleepy yawn made her open her arms, and the girl gratefully lay beside the miko. "Alright, go to sleep then…" Kagome wrapped her arms around the child, and felt a pair of arms encircle her as well. Inuyasha nuzzled her hair, and she smiled sleepily, before falling in to the dark abyss of sleep. 

That morning, Kagome awoke to her sleeping bag being empty, a large pillow behind her, in place of the hanyou who had previously occupied the spot. Vaguely she heard voices, recognizing Inuyasha's and his brother talking. "She's still asleep…been that way…Miroku…I…" 

"I know…wake her…get going…go back…" 

"**Kagome-chan's awaaaaaaaakeeeeeee**!" Rin shrieked as she noticed Kagome sit up, and then flop back down. "Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan! Kaaaa-goooo-meeeeee-chaaaaaaaan!" The child hopped up and down, clapping her hands as she waited for her friend to get up, and hopefully play with her, since Sesshoumaru-sama, and 'the annoying whelp, and disgrace to the name youkai,' were talking. "Wanna play? Wanna play? Pleeeeaaaseeeee?!"

Sesshoumaru looked over, and cocked an eyebrow in bemusement as the child's voice increased in volume. Wincing a bit, Inuyasha walked over, and scooped up the child, and handed her to Sesshoumaru with a glare that clearly said, 'She's your problem, now take care of it.' Slowly he knelt down beside Kagome, who wasn't looking too good, "Oi…" He said softly, tipping her head up and meeting her eyes. "You alright?" 

"I kissed Miroku…" Kagome whispered, waiting for the nod she knew was coming. "And I hit Sango-chan. " Another nod. "We fought…" Another nod. "I kissed _Miroku_… Oh dear- I'm gonna be sick…" Kagome pushed herself up, and staggeringly ran for the a large bush, before bending over, and retching violently. Inuyasha stood up as well, and strode over, pulling back her hair, and gently rubbing her back in soothing circles. When she finished, she dug in her backpack for a canteen of water, and washed out her mouth, spat, then drank the rest of the remaining water. 

"Are you gonna be alright?" Inuyasha asked, momentarily forgetting that Sesshoumaru and Rin were standing there as well. Kagome nodded slightly, her dark eyes troubled. "What?"

"Did you leave Sango-chan alone with Miroku-sama?" Kagome asked softly, almost nervously. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru nodded at the same time. "Oh nooo." Kagome groaned, resting her head on her hands.

"You left a woman in love with possibly the most lecherous man on the face of this planet, _alone_! What possibly could have made you, _either _of you, think that this was a _good idea??!_" Kagome screeched, and glared dangerously at both youkai. Inuyasha had wide eyes, accustomed to the rants that Kagome was prone to, especially when she was angry. The hanyou shot a slightly frightened look toward his older brother, before shouting the first thing that came to mind. "Well don't yell at me! It was _that_ idiot's idea!" Inuyasha snapped, pointing at Sesshoumaru who raised an eyebrow. 

"I think not little brother, it was your own idea that distance would cure both Rin, and Kagome of the…curse." Sesshoumaru crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes at the hanyou.

"It was not! Really Kagome!! It was Sesshoumaru!" 

"It was _most certainly not._" Sesshoumaru shot back.

"Was too."

"It _was_ not." Sesshoumaru growled.

"It was toooooooo, ya stupid bastard." Drawled Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, I-" 

"Oh my goodness! You two are acting like a couple of two-year-olds! I have _no_ idea how old _either_ of you are, but for the love of Kami, I know you are older then how you are acting!" Kagome fumed, glaring at both youkai. "Both of you are setting a bad example for Rin, and I don't want her ending up like the two of you…arrogant, stupid…." She searched for a decent word, but came up with nothing, and simply grasped the nearest thing, "Demons!" 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged looks, that meant, _'All that fuss for her insult of calling us demons…pathetic humans…' _

****

Back With Miroku and Sango.

Miroku jerked back, panting for a breath, as he scrambled back across the bed, falling to the floor with a thump. "Sango! Stop before…" 

A pounding on the door, and then the door swung far open, "FIRE! There's a fire in here! Run- a demon's attacking!!" A young girl, her eyes wide with fear screamed as she ran to the next door. Both Miroku and Sango froze, and burst in to action. Sango scrambled to grab Hiraikotsu and her clothes, while Miroku grabbed his staff. Screams of people echoed though the house, along with the stomps of running feet. 

"Kirara!? Kirara, where-" The demon leaped on to Sango's head, and they set off, the smoke tendrils beginning to seep in to the long hallway. "Miroku- we have to get out! Where's the-" Sango yelped when she tripped on a small object. "What in the-?" 

A large black and white cat crouched on the floor, his ruby eyes gleaming dangerously. "A neko youkai?!" Miroku gasped, as he helped Sango up, watching in amazement as Kirara leaped down, and the two neko youkai nuzzled briefly. "Ask later Sango- lets go!" He yanked her as the four of them dashed down the stairs, and out in to the crisp night air. 

Flames licked up the sides of the inn, and both the demon exterminator and houshi stared down at the two youkai who were sitting close to each other, the male purring contentedly. Miroku strode forward, his un-cursed hand over his mouth, using his robes to filter the smoke from his lungs, making his way over to the owner of the inn. "Sir- is anyone still in there?" He called as loud as he dared, watching the older man shake his head remorsefully.

"Nay, none are left in there, but I fear that there is no saving it now. Oh well…it is just as well I suppose, it was becoming a danger anyway." Dark eyes watched the fire as it grew, smoke pouring from the windows. "Some of my servants believe they saw a demon breathe fire upon the house, and others say a fire in the kitchen must have gotten out of hand. I know not what to believe." 

"What are you going to do now?" Miroku spoke hesitantly, fiddling with his prayer beads. The man shrugged, and smiled wryly. 

"Head to the north, I own another inn up there, my sister is running it. It shall be fine young one." 

======================================================

Well, since I'm an awful person I've cut it off here, I'm going to do review responses now, since I'm in a writing groove… Booyah!

Take note that your review responses might be more then one, since I did them for 2 and 3.

Thanks go out to-

Valinoa

Elyndewen Startree 

Kayrin

Looong review responses…ok, not that long…

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Moony391- It's okay, I appreciate the reviews! 

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Blackfire*101- I'm hoping that as the series goes, it gets better, but thanks!

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Minuyasha- …. Okay…. -lol- 

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KrysOfDeath- Glad you like this, I'm aiming to make this funny as well as serious.

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Wackoramaco87- Wait and see, thanks for reviewing!

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Helba- thanks so much, I had forgotten about Kaede….*shudders* Poor Miroku…

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Kumaru **Yeoman**- Actually, I already had something similar to this planned out….Great minds think alike. 

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Ghoul King- I'm close to questioning your sanity as of now… Yours too Corwin… Lol.

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Miko of the Moon- Don't worry, here it is!

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Evilfire4321-I was just joking! 

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DmeongirlofInuyasha- Thanks a lot for the sorry, and I'm glad you like the story!

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Aamalie-I haven't seen those episodes yet. I'm so deprived… blah… Thanks for the huggling, made me feel better! 

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Minuyasha- What? :D

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Sycoger64- Glad you like this!

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DemongirlofInuyasha- No, it didn't seem to harsh…I'm gonna check out your stories!

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Evilfire4321- Careful there! Those instruments cost a lot of money! And come on, I looove my cliffhangers. Lol

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Aamalie- Intriuging…no, that's spelled intriguing. Nice try though! 

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KrysofDeath- Poor Sesshoumaru, he can't catch a break. And watch those chairs, their dangerous!

  
**Kumaru Yeoman**- Sorry about the cliffie! Glad you like the fact that Inuyasha doesn't know what a marking is, and I was just kinda flying by the seat of my pants, making stuff up that sounded good for the most part…sad…

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Almightysheelf08- Its only confusing if you're stupid… And Tini, darling, you're stupid…Lol… just kidding, you're still my best friend!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone, I found a picture of Sesshoumaru as a girl!! Not exactly as I imagined she *cough* he would look like, but funny none the less. Go and check it out! Get rid of the space though, before you try and load it up. view.php?action=get_pic&pic_id=11360 Take out the spaces! Duh… :p

If you know anymore good art, please tell meee!

Anyone notice how fanfiction.net is being a pain in the ass right now? Some days it just wont come up, and others it works. I didn't know that websites suffered from PMS too…

Chapter 5

(Third Day)

Miroku kept walking as Sango trotted behind him, Kirara on her shoulder, while the unnamed neko bounded forward past the monk. "Did you start the fire?" Miroku asked rhetorically, scooping the demon up with a quizzical look on his youthful face. The fiery neko hissed lightly, and leaped out of his arms, to land softly, and twitch his tail in irritation. "Hn. Doesn't seem to be so friendly." Miroku murmured, glancing back at Sango who was gazing at him with nearly visible stars of adoration in her eyes. 

"I'm sure he will warm up to you," Sango assured, linking arms with him, which was slightly awkward with her gigantic boomerang. "After _all_, you are an extremely likeable person, who is strong, courageous, charming, and handsome." Sango laid her head on his shoulder, and carefully made her way past the various roots and such in her path. "I love you, you know that right?" 

Miroku stopped, violet eyes wide in disbelief. 

__

Those words…I've wanted to hear them for so damn long, but now…it's the spell talking, not Sango…How cruel fate is…Miroku rolled his eyes in exasperation, and took Sango's hand, kissing the inside of her wrist with a smile. "Sango, as much as I love those words, I fear that I can not accept the full meaning, for that would-"

"Get your hands off of my man!" A shrill voice made both jump, and Sango whirl around, hand at the ready for her Hiraikotsu. What they saw made Sango bristle, and Miroku send a silent prayer out to any gods that happened to be feeling nice at that particular moment in time. A young girl stood there, hands on hips, and scowling deeply. She looked about fourteen, but, then again, looks could be deceiving. "And Rasiel, what are you doing, following them around?!" The neko youkai sniffed noncommittally, and sat down, his tail curling around him, and began to lick his paw, clearly ignoring the lot of them. 

Miroku glanced back and forth, all the while aware of the tight grip that Sango had on his arm, and the tenseness emanating from the young woman. "Er…My lady, do I…know you?" 

"No- but you will in a minute." The young girl sniffed haughtily, and sashayed over to him, swaying her hips. "My name is Sakura, and that is my cat, and _you_ are my man!" She crossed her arms, and Sango surveyed her with barely veiled disgust. Long blonde hair, pulled up by a leather thong, with light brown eyes, and a light spatter of freckles on her dainty little nose. She wore a fancy kimono, and she was obviously of high stature from the many rings and jewelry on her slender hands. The demon slayer rolled her eyes. 

"Oh please…You can't be serious…" Sango laughed lowly, her fingertips lingering over her long, thin swords. "I would swipe your petty little head-" 

"All _right_ ladies!" Miroku exclaimed hurriedly, placing himself between the two, and waving his hands. "Now, I'm sure that we can settle this like- oh for the love of Kami!" Sakura darted around him, and screamed out another word, and a ball of indigo light flashed toward Sango. The huntress jumped aside and drew her sword with a hiss of steel against hard wood. Another bright flash from Sakura, this time, crimson aimed toward the older girl. Sango was slammed against the tree, and slumped down, her head falling against her chest, breathing slowly. 

Rasiel yowled angrily, and darted forward, transforming in to his larger form, as Kirara followed quickly. "Yasindir!" Sakura screamed, and a bright light enveloped the two youkai, sending them flying as well. Miroku drew ofuda out from the folds of his robes, and threw them at the girl, who froze as they landed on her expensive kimono. The girls eyes darted back and forth, panicking visibly, even though she was frozen, her lips parted slightly, and she swallowed convulsively. Miroku took a final glance, making sure that she was sealed so she could not hope to escape, and then hurried to Sango. 

"Sango- Sango wake up! Sango!" Miroku scooped her up, and shot a dirty look at the girl. Kirara and Rasiel were regaining consciousness, and they stumbled over to the two humans, growling lowly. "Can one of you take Sango somewhere safe, and then come back and get me? I need to…take care of something…" 

Rasiel cocked his head, but seemed to understand the monk's soft request, and transformed. Gently Miroku set the older woman on his back, and turned to the petrified girl. "I do not care, that you are under the influence of a spell, but you shall not attack someone with out just reason. And attacking a youkai, a _neko_ youkai, was plain stupidity. What in the seven hells were you thinking?" The girl rolled her eyes, and tried to move her mouth. It became apparent what was going on when Miroku remembered the ofuda. "If I take these off, you must swear to not run away, or I will have Kirara rip you to pieces." Thought the threat was empty, the girl did not know that by the frightened and angry look in her light brown eyes. She nodded her head a bit, and Miroku reached over to pull of the small scrolls. 

"You have created an enemy this day, love, and you will regret it…for if I am not able to have you…no woman shall." Sakura bit out, jaw clenching tightly. Miroku ground his teeth together, and held a snarling Kirara back with his staff. Sakura pointed her index finger at the furious monk, and stated angrily. "Be warned, you will not win against me, I am not someone you can trifle with. Asdur!" Sakura vanished, and Miroku hit his staff against the forest floor in anger. 

Kirara growled lowly, and let Miroku mount her back, and then took off, sniffing for Rasiel's scent. They soon found them, almost a quarter mile away, with the male youkai standing protectively over the fallen demon huntress. Landing softly, Miroku dismounted, and knelt beside Sango. _Please let her be alright…_

****

* Kagome, Sesshoumaru And Inuyasha.

Kagome focused her energy in to the small sapphires, making them glow brilliantly, before the light faded, and the gems were normal again, except for the small blue fire that burned inside. Sesshoumaru had brought the jewels when Kagome had suggested that she might know how to make a protection seal against the spell that made them fall in love with the monk. The charmed sapphires were hooked to gold necklaces, and then placed around both girl's necks. Fingering the small jewel, Kagome probed it with her miko energy, making sure that the power was secure and if anything should happen, it would not explode with purifying energy, and purify all of the youkai in the nearby vicinity, including Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. 

"Well?" Inuyasha asked impatiently, tapping his foot. Kagome smiled a bit, and shrugged.

"I don't think there is any chance of it blowing up, but there is no possible way to be one hundred percent sure. I am almost positive that is safe though." 

"Well why did ya want sapphires? Wouldn't a regular rock work just as well?" Inuyasha tapped the hard jewel that Kagome held up in her hand. 

Kagome smiled, "In the short time that I was trained with Kaede, she told me that sapphires have the greatest capability to hold a large amount of miko magic without shattering or breaking. So, I figure that it was better to be safe then sorry." Kagome watched Rin hold it up to the sun, and then as the rays glinted off the shiny surface. "Sesshoumaru, where did you manage to get the jewels? Oh- never mind…" Kagome shook her head, not wanting to know how he got the two jewels. "You didn't kill anyone did you?" 

Sesshoumaru gave her a level look, and said nothing. "Oh. Bad question…" Kagome uttered softly, turning to her hanyou companion. "Well, I think that we should get going, to make sure that nothing happened to either Miroku-sama, or Sango-chan. I don't want to have a rude surprise when we get back, like Sango-chan pregnant or something…I don't know what possessed you two bumbling fools to leave those two alone-" 

"Alright! Kagome- that's _enough_!" Inuyasha snapped, grabbing a hold of her forearms, and bringing them close. Kagome gasped, and stiffened as she was drawn flush against his body. The younger woman stared up, a bit of fear tinting her scent, and he growled lowly. "I am tired of you ranting and raving just because we made a mistake! You were _not_ capable of making a decision, and Kami _knows_ Rin wasn't. We don't need your shi- _crap _about how we acted, when you were not even in your right mind. We made a mistake, but damn it, we're gonna learn from it- and you can stop-" A second later, he bent down, and crushed his lips against hers, pulling her tightly against him. Sesshoumaru pulled Rin close, and covered her eyes, as the two kissed hungrily. 

"If you two could pull yourselves back to this world, I believe that it would be best to leave." Sesshoumaru stated in a bored voice. Kagome pulled away slowly, breathing hard, and smiling warmly. 

"Gomen…" She breathed, before he hugged her close, and then released her. "Lets go." 

*

Gods, I'm sorry for the short chapters, but trust me, they get longer later on. Now, I was wondering if anyone would like to do art for any of my stories. I am curious to see what people imagine some of the scenes look like, and I think it would be cool. If interested, please email me, or leave a review, and I'll get back to you. Also, I've started an email-list-thing, where I will email you every time I update, so you don't have to guess when I'll stop being lazy! If interested in that, leave your email, and I'll add you! 

I don't have a lot of time for responses, but if I don't get to you today, I will next update, I promise!

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Ghoul King- I bet being undead has its perks, but I prefer life. :D Anyway, I know, my chapters need to be longer, and it ticks me off too….*sigh* I'm trying, really I am!

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SessRin- SessRin, where are you? Have you forgotten about meeee? I'm hurt!

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Blackfire***101**- Thanks for the advice, but my nicknames…are odd. I'm called the Squishy One by most people who know me. You ever seen Finding Nemo? It's the little jelly fish. Yeah…

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Also, before I forget, is there anyone interested in becoming a beta reader for me? I had one, but I think her computer got permanently fried. If you are interested, please tell me. I would like for the person to be able to speak English very well, and for them to be able to give me advice on how to better my writing skills. I'm kinda picky on who is my beta, F.Y.I.…

If you have any questions, I will try to answer them to the best of my ability!! Talk to you all later, and please leave a review!

Thanks!

Crimson Demon


	6. Chapter 6

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I know, I know, I shouldn't have had such a short chapter. I'm bad that way. Deal with it. The next chapter will have a bit more humor in it, and-…

Catrin: Shut up! It took me ages to come up with the plot, and if you go giving it away-!

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Blah. I'm not allowed to have any fun. Can I post this chapter, **mom**? 

Catrin: If you wish, I _suppose_ will allow it. 

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Bite me.

Catrin: I'd really rather not… 

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Ew…I'm gonna have to stop you from hanging out with Miroku so often, there's something wrong with you. He corrupted your innocent mind!

Day Four

Early the next morning, as the sun was barely rising, the group was already up and moving. Kagome had her arms around the hanyou's neck, chin on his shoulder as he nimbly leapt from tree branch to tree branch. Inuyasha's long sliver hair rippled in the faint light as he took a sharp turn, veering past an old, large tree that stood in his path. Sesshoumaru and Rin were ahead and below, Sesshoumaru walking slower and more deliberately then his energetic half brother. Yes, there had been a lack of fighting, and even the great demon lord himself was almost itching for a chance to relieve himself of some of the pent up energy, but there was no way he was going to lower himself to such an unseemly display. 

A soft giggle from the girl on Inuyasha's back made him toss a glance back at her, and vaguely smile in amusement. He knew how much she loved to ride on him, and to be honest; he enjoyed it almost as much as she did. "You're getting slow…" She murmured after a moment, grinning from ear to ear as his steps lost their rhythm and he landed on a protruding tree branch. He turned his head, golden eyes flashing in indignation at her comment. 

"You wanna repeat that again wench?" He set her down, and crossed his arms, the very epitome of male arrogance and affront. "'Cause there's no way that I just heard you say what I thought you said…"

Kagome smiled wider, blinking innocently. The half demon rolled his eyes, and ruffled her hair affectionately. _Sheesh, what's that look for?_ Indeed, Kagome was staring at him with something akin to surprise on her features.

"What's your problem, you just figure out that I'm a half demon or somethin'?" He shifted nervously from his position on the tree branch, uncomfortable.

"You're so _sweet _sometimes!" She squealed, throwing her arms around him, and hugging him tightly. Utterly confused, he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back lightly, still puzzled. But hey, if she wanted to hug him, more power to her- he wasn't going to object.

When she stood up on tiptoe, and kissed him firmly on the mouth, he threw all his thoughts out the window, and kissed her back gratefully. He always would love kissing her; she was so warm, and soft in his arms. Kagome's thoughts ran along similar lines, as she leaned in to him, eyes closing, and sighing in to his mouth. 

Arms dropping to wind part way around his waist, she tilted her head to the side as he broke away from her mouth to press warm kisses to the side of her neck, and tug away part of the white shirt to reveal her shoulder. Almost instantly after a soft whimper escaped her lips, he came to his senses, and pulled himself away regretfully. "Jeez Kagome," He murmured, resting his forehead against hers in a rare moment of happiness. "You're making me like the monk…" 

Fighting to keep a straight face at his perfectly serious comment, she lost the battle, and leaned against him, laughing. Rolling his eyes, he picked her up again, and sniffed the air. "Alright, c'mon wench, you're actin' crazy, and we've got to catch up to Sesshoumaru and the brat."

"Be nice…" Were her only words, as he took off again.

\\

Skipping ahead of the quiet youkai lord, who was quite obviously lost in thought about one thing or another, Rin grew tired and bored of his silence. Turning back to see if she could spot the one person who had already promised to play with her at a later time, Kagome, she realized that the older girl was no where to be found. "Ano…Sesshoumaru-sama, where is Kagome-chan and Inuyasha?" 

Sesshoumaru didn't answer for a moment, still staying quiet. "They will come Rin." He kept his current unhurried pace, knowing that in fact his half brother and the human girl would follow eventually. Rin stared at his back for a moment, and then trotted after him, briefly confused. 

"What is wrong with Sesshoumaru-sama?" Her dark brown eyes blinked up at him, and he resisted the almost overwhelming urge so sigh.

"Nothing is wrong with me Rin." 

She thought for a moment, and he kept walking. "Well, it seems to Rin-chan that there is something wrong…."

"Rin, I assure you, there is nothing wrong with me." Glancing back at the child, he lifted a hand and brushed back his silvery bangs. 

"Are Kagome-chan and Inuyasha in…" Rin paused for a moment, contemplating her question. "Are they in love? Sango-sama and Kagome-chan were talking about 'love' when I bathed with them…"

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, and a tiny almost wistful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Hai Rin…they are in love…" _And a rather fitting one at that. I've never met a woman more suited to handle the stubbornness of that hanyou._ "Come Rin, we are almost to the human village, and they will no doubt come along later." 

"But Sesshoumaru-sama…" 

"Rin," The youkai lord kept walking and the child gave a great heaving sigh, before following. 

\\

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Sango will be fine… She has suffered worse before, and this will be no different.

Ah, yes, but most of those times, it was not so blatantly your fault. 

Hai…that is true… But- Miroku stepped over a protruding log and his gaze slid to the unconscious demon slayer, who was sprawled on Kirara's furry back. "Do you think that the others are fairing well?" He asked, almost rhetorically. The neko youkai looked back at him, and flicked an ear in irritation. Rasiel gave a soft yawing mew, and bounded up, leaping on to the young monk's shoulder and nosing his ear. Miroku rolled his eyes, and kept on walking, occasionally glancing back to see if Sango was waking up at all. 

After traveling almost the whole day, it was beginning to show on his face, and finally, he leaned against the tree, and brushed back his dark bangs. But with all the rogue demons around, it wouldn't be safe to stay the night, even with two youkai. "Right then…we continue on."

\\

When their paths crossed with Sesshoumaru and the sleeping child Rin, Miroku couldn't hold in the sigh of complete and utter relief. "What is wrong with the slayer, monk?" 

Miroku rolled his shoulders absently, and spoke softly, "Where are Kagome-sama and Inuyasha? Weren't they with you?" Sesshoumaru scowled fiercely, and Rin murmured something in her sleep. With a huge yawn, and a long stretch, she tugged on Sesshoumaru's long white hair, her sleepy signal to be let down. 

Teetering over, she absently pet the large youkai on her nose, and inspected the relaxed face of the slayer. "What happened…" A huge yawn. "T-to her?" Her hands rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and she turned to the monk. "Will she be all right? She doesn't look well…"

Miroku nodded his head, "Hai, I know, and she shall be fine little one. She's just tired, it's been a long day." Rubbing his temples, frustrated, he faced the youkai lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama, where are Kagome-chan and Inuyasha?"

Cocking his head even as the monk spoke, his finely tuned ears caught the sound of his half brother leaping through the forest, approaching fast. "They come, even as we speak here."

Sure enough, Inuyasha dropped down from a tree, a half-asleep Kagome on his back, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, face buried his hair. Glaring dangerously at the monk's knowing look, the hanyou shifted, letting Kagome touch the ground. "Say _anything_ monk, and I'll rip your hands off and feed them to you." 

Miroku raised the said appendages, a sign of no hostility. "Understood," He gave a weak grin. "I rather expect I'll need these later."

Kagome gave a dry laugh, and Inuyasha replied with his ever famous, "Feh."

\\

As it was later revealed, Sango only suffered a minor concussion, the result of hitting the giant tree with as much force as she did. When she awoke late that night, Miroku was the first sight that her eyes met as he peered over, checking on her. "Sango! You're awake!" His voice was softer then usual, the normal smoothness gone, and roughened with concern for the girl. Sango nodded slowly, blinking, and trying to clear her blurry and foggy vision. "Sango is awake." 

The announcement made Sesshoumaru look over from his standing position from across the camp, eyes sliding to the two of them, and then back to the darkened surroundings of the forest, should a threat arise.

Inuyasha was still caught in between sleep and consciousness; head pillowed on Kagome's lap, as the miko absently stroked his satiny ears with her left hand. With her right hand, she was holding that weak little stick that she called a 'pencil', and working on something called 'English' homework. Inuyasha mumbled something under his breath, and turned slightly, opting for more sleep. _It's almost sickening, honestly._ Sesshoumaru moved away from the tree, and walked over to where Rin was curled up by the fire, fast asleep again. "I am going to take Rin back, and make sure that Jaken is running things correctly. I will return at a later date." 

Kagome looked up, and sent the lord a bright smile, "All right, thanks for everything Sesshoumaru-sama…" Sesshoumaru inclined his head, and picked up the sleepy child effortlessly, before disappearing in to the darkness of the night. "Sango-chan, how're you doing?"

"I'm fine…" Sango smiled weakly, caught in between staring at the monk, and talking to her best friend. "But- Kagome-chan-"

Kagome noticed the girl seem to lose confidence, and she smiled gingerly. "Sango, I assure you, that I have no interest in Miroku-sama, and that before was a…. Mistake…" _It will do no good to tell her that this entire thing is because of a curse…_Kagome thought wryly. "And neither is Rin. So as you can see, Miroku-sama is all yours!" 

The monk sent her a venomous look, and Kagome smiled brightly. "Good," Sango latched herself on to his arm, all her injuries forgotten in favor of hitting on the monk. "Miroku, are you alright too?"

Kagome sighed heavily, and reached down to tweak Inuyasha's fuzzy ear. "This got old, after the first few times…" She murmured, as Miroku tried half-heartedly to fend off Sango's advances toward him. 

Inuyasha opened an eye, and flashed his fangs in a lethargic grin. "Did you reach this conclusion before or after she kicked your ass?" 

Kagome glared daggers at him, and abruptly twisted his ear painfully, electing a yelp of pain from him. "Ow, wench! Gods, be nice!" He yelped again as she pinched down. "Sorry! Sorry!" Kagome let his ear go, and he brought a hand up to gently massage the wounded area. "Gods woman, you're awful…" He growled, cursing under his breath. Kagome smiled innocently, and shifted on the ground, allowing him to rest his head on her lap again. 

"And you're the most adorable thing I've ever seen." She tapped his nose, and then let out a cry of surprise when he leaned up and bit it gently. "Ow! That was mean!" Sucking on the wounded finger, she thwacked him on the head with the pencil, and proceeded to pout.

"I ain't cute, I'm ferocious." He closed his eyes again, and Kagome made a face at him. Her joking mood was gone, however, when she looked over the homework that had been assigned in her 'absences due to sickness'. _Poetry. I _hate _poetry. I'm never gonna need to know how to write 'name poetry', so why do they insist on teaching us it? Maybe Sango-chan will help me, and we can go get a bath. _

"Sango-chan, do you want to come take a bath with me?" Sticking her pencil in the notebook, and marking her place, she looked over to where Miroku and Sango had paused. Sango shook her head, and Miroku smiled lecherously.

"Kagome-sama, I would love to take a bath with you, and even would be willing to help you reach those hard to get spots!" The entire sentence was said with such seriousness, that Kagome scooped up a stick, and tossed it at his head. 

__

"Sango-chan, why don't we go, _now?!_" Voice clearly stating that she would accept nothing less then utter acceptance, the demon slayer nodded and reluctantly pulled away. Lifting Inuyasha's head off of her lap, the miko in training pushed herself off the ground, and grabbed her bathing supplies, just in time to hear Inuyasha incoherently mumble something about 'Stupid tests, and shit.' Smiling wryly, Kagome tossed a warning over her shoulder to the monk, and then proceeded to the springs with Sango following. 

Well, I rewrote the entire chapter, so it is the lenth that it is now. Be happy. Yah. Anyway, I'm really tired, and I swear I will try to get to review responses as soon as possible. Really. 

Love to all, 

Me.


	7. chapter 7

HAHA! A long chapter!! I'm so proud of myself! 2291 words! I am a god! Fluff! And for the most part, this is just a filler chapter. Nothing life threatening…until the bottom… Bwahaha. Hope you enjoy, and please leave a review, if you're feeling particularly kind. And when you finish with this, go and read Sandra E's stories. Miroku/Kagome, a pairing that I never thought I'd enjoy. But, seriously, go and read them. She's got me addicted. Badly… :D Also looking for a beta. Great grammar, and preferably English as a first language… 

Also, before I forget, all the people who want to draw art for my story (ies) please, if you post it, send me a link! *begs* I would love to see what you people think!

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KrysofDeath- Marry me. Or at least bear Miroku's children. He threatened not to appear in the next chapter if I can't get one person to bear his children. Yah… So, please draw me a piccie! I'll love you forever!

-CD

(Night four)

Setting down her things, Kagome began to strip off her clothes, and toe off her shoes. Slipping in to the hot springs with a grateful sigh, she glanced over at Sango who had also let herself drift in to the steaming water. "Mmmm…it feels like I haven't been clean for ages…" Kagome dived under the water, and then came back up, smoothing back her soaking hair with another sigh of contentment.

"Its most definitely nice, but it would be better if-"

"Never mind!!" Kagome covered her ears, and swam over to the edge of the springs, where she had placed her books for English**{1}.** After a moment of thinking, she asked, "Have you ever written poetry before?" Glancing back at the demon slayer, she tossed her a bottle of shampoo, and a small bar of soap. Deftly catching them, Sango wet her hair thoroughly before answering.

"Iie, never…I've never been any good at writing or arts, but then, my father never thought it useful for us to learn much more then we already had after mother died." Rubbing the shampoo into her long hair, she twirled it up in to a bun, and tied it, letting the shampoo sit. "Why? Do you want to know how to, or…" 

"No, I know how to, I'm just not any good at it. Our teacher assigned us to pick out 3 names, and do name poetry on them. Name poetry is where you take a person's name, and then take the letters to make a different sentence."

"Sounds easy enough…" Sango waded over, and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Yeah…but it's not…" 

"Well, lets just pick a name, and then do a practice one…" 

"Alright, how about…" 

"Sesshoumaru!" Sango giggled slightly. "Lets do one on him!" 

Kagome gave her friend a surprised look. Why would the huntress want to do one on Sesshoumaru? Wasn't she 'in love' with the monk, Miroku? After all, that spell…Oh never mind. It hurt to think too much. Gah.

\\

"What in the hell? Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha growled low under his breath, scowling at the two females in the warm water. "Miroku, get your ass over here, I don't want you seeing any more of Kagome then you have already…" 

"You do not trust the intentions of this monk? I'm appalled that you think so lowly of me." Miroku grinned in the darkness, his white teeth flashing slightly. Inuyasha growled low again, and his ears twitched as he tried to catch as much of the conversation as he could, all while keeping an eye on Kagome.

\\

"Alright, so the first letter is S…" Kagome wrote it down, and then finished up by putting down the rest of his name.

S-

E-

S-

S-

H-

O-

U-

M-

A-

R-

U-

"How about this, Such an Enormous ego-" A pause, and then a splash. 

"Oh never mind, that won't work…" Kagome frowned as she scribbled out what she had written. "Sooo… ano…How about-"

"Try that- so!" Sango took a pencil, and wrote a So down. "So…so…Enormously…..Sexy! How about that?!" 

Kagome giggled softly, and wrote it down, "So Enormously Sexy," She laughed again, shaking her head. "That he is…have you _seen_ his butt?"

Sango laughed and then wrote down another word, at which they both stared. "Stuffy, that's true… He rarely ever says more then he has to…but he's getting better, and I think that he genuinely likes most of us!" Sango nodded at Kagome's statement, and then the miko snapped her fingers. "Having an….hmmm…having an- Outstandingly…"

"Unrivaled! Unrivaled and…" Sango broke in, as Kagome scribbled down the words.

"Magnificent…" Kagome snickered, and their eyes met for a brief moment. 

****

"Ass!!" They both burst out laughing, and Kagome wiped her eyes. "Oh lord, this is awful!" 

"Understandably so!" Sango snorted, and then grinned widely. "That's it! Understandably so!"

So

Enormously

Sexy but

Stuffy

Having an

Outstandingly

Unrivaled, and,

Magnificent 

Ass

Really 

Understandably so.

"Oh dear gods, this is terrible…" Kagome gasped out through giggles. "I'm going to flunk- and I'll never go to college!"

Inuyasha scowled as he listened to the girl. _Shit…she's talked about the 'coll-edge' before, and it sounds just like "sko-oll" if this is anything like that, then I'm gonna destroy the well. _Even as he thought this, he knew he wouldn't be able too, unless he absolutely had to. 

She sank down in to the water, and ran a hand through her dampened hair, pulling the tangles out. "Well, at least we get the idea…" More laughter, and then the two spies pulled away, thoroughly disgusted with their women. 

\\

"C'mon monk, this 'name poetry' crap can't be that hard!" Inuyasha's amber eyes flashed in the fading light of the fire. He frowned at the notebook that Miroku had taken from Kagome's backpack, after the girls had left, and then opened it up. On the first few pages, were her writing, and then some doodles off to the side. What really caught his eyes, was on one of the last pages. It was a sketch of him, good, but not great. On the side, as little notes, and some other things. Feeling oddly satisfied, he ripped it out, and stuck it in a fold of his kimono and then grabbed the pencil, holding it awkwardly. "You seen those two neko's anywhere?"

"No, come to think of it, I haven't." Miroku shrugged. "Lets try this, and see what we come up with. Why don't you do one for…Shippou, and I'll do one for Kagome-sama?" The monk shrugged at Inuyasha's low warning growl, and noticed the fangs that the hanyou flashed in a clear threat. "Or I can just do Sango…" 

Inuyasha shot him a last glare and then turned to the blank sheet of paper. "It can't be that hard…"

__

"This is gonna be easy." He mumbled, thinking for a moment.

K-Knows what I'm thinking,

A-and how to make me feel better.

G-Gets all our supplies and

At this, Inuyasha stopped, frowning. Thinking hard, he then came to another idea, one that made him grimace. 

O-Osuwari's me 'cause she's _dumb_.

M-Meanwhile, somehow

E-Effortlessly making me like her.

Looking over it, he grinned slightly, and folded up the slip of paper, tucking it into a fold in his red over shirt. Miroku looked like he was still working, and Inuyasha peered over to see what the monk had written. "Back away… you may see if Sango lets you…" 

"Y'know?" 

"No, Inuyasha, I don't enlighten me…" Miroku rolled his shoulders, and then one corner of his lips turned up in amusement at the hanyou's huff. 

Inuyasha crossed his arms, and stared moodily in to the fire for a moment, before commenting, "We're pathetic." 

Miroku tucked the paper in to a pocket, and then glanced over at his hanyou friend in curiosity, "What do you mean by that?"

Inuyasha snorted, and cracked his neck. "What I means here we are, sitting by the fire, alone, while our women are in the hot springs, writing sucky poetry about my damn half brother! Doesn't that strike you as a little pathetic?!"

Miroku rested his chin on his palm for a moment, watching as the fire crackled and hissed, then looked up. "Hai, Inuyasha, it does seem pathetic, but what are we going to do about it? We can't exactly kill Sesshoumaru-sama just because- Inuyasha. No. No matter how tempting, you are not allowed to kill him."

Inuyasha muttered obscenities under his breath, and then perked up a little. "They're coming back." 

Miroku let a perverted smile cross his lips, and Inuyasha frowned. "What the hell are you planning monk?" 

"So anyway, I couldn't believe the nerve of him! He just-" Kagome stopped her rant, as she saw that Inuyasha was watching her with narrowed eyes. "Um…Hi Inuyasha…" 

The hanyou just rolled his eyes, but as soon as he was going to say something, a low groan made them all turn toward the monk. "Oh no, I'm going to be sick…" Miroku clutched his stomach, and rested his forehead on his knees. "It must have been something I ate…" 

Kagome and Sango both rushed over to the 'ailing' monk, and Inuyasha's eyes widened when he realized what the monk was planning. _That sly bastard…Unbelievable, he has both of them fawning over him at the slightest thing. And I'll bet that he won't wait long to grope Sango…_Right then, a sharp scream made Inuyasha sigh, and then realize who it was. "_Miroku_! Get your damn hands off Kagome!" 

Kagome scrambled back, glaring daggers at the monk, who had his arms wrapped around Sango, smirking smugly. "Touch her again, and I'll rip your hands off and feed them to you monk." Inuyasha warned, a tint of red entering his vision briefly. Miroku nodded, and Kagome moved to beside the hanyou, laying a head on his shoulder. 

__

It seems that Inuyasha grows more and more possessive over the miko as time goes on. Ever since… Ever since Kagome-sama died, he has been careful to not let her out of his sight. Miroku let his lilac eyes wander the dark haired girl in his arms as well. _And Sango…I don't know what to do about her. I- I think that I love her, but…no, I know that I do, but she will never accept me…as anything, since she seems to think that she has to do everything by herself. She's gotten better since joining us in our search for Naraku, but still…she wants to be able to do everything for herself. _

\\ Morning 5//

The next morning, Kagome awoke with a jaw popping yawn, and a long stretch. Inuyasha had placed her in her sleeping bag, and the hanyou himself was up in the tree above her, half asleep, but keeping a careful ear on all the surroundings. Smiling sleepily, she glanced over at her other companions, and noticed that Miroku had an arm thrown over the drowsy huntress, a blissful smile on his face. Kirara and Rasiel had returned, and were curled up together close to the huntress. Rolling her shoulders, as she walked over to the dying embers of the fire, she tossed a piece of dewy wood on to it, listening as it hissed and sizzled. 

The hanyou up in the tree opened one eye, and then closed it again, tugging his clothes tighter around him in an effort to ward off the coolness of that morning. Frowning, Kagome noted the odd change in the weather, and then shrugged. _Of course it's getting cooler, its almost autumn. I can't believe that I forgot about what season it was. I suppose that with all the recent happenings, that I just forgot. I mean…_She sighed heavily, and headed over to her backpack to grab a sweater to pull over her shirt. "Inuyasha? Aren't you cold?" Kagome whispered up, loudly, but not so loudly as to wake Sango and Miroku.

Inuyasha opened both eyes this time, and sent her an amused smile. "Listen wench, I've been through worse weather when I was a kid, and this ain't gonna affect me at all." His eyes drifted shut, and he leaned back against the tree.

Kagome rolled her eyes, and performed a mocking bow. "Yes, oh high and mighty youkai, who is so far above us. We bow down before you're greatness, and we hope that our humble accommodations can suit you, my lord." 

His eyes snapped open once more, and he glared down at her. "Don't call me that." He snapped coldly, turning his head away, and staring off in to the dim light of the sun which had barely begun to rise. Kagome jerked up and stared at him, hurt shining in the depths of her dark eyes. _Don't turn_, his mind ordered coolly. _You don't want to see her- its just gonna make you feel worse._ But his heart won over, and he slowly, as if it was painful, turned his eyes back to her, but she was no longer looking up at him. Instead, she was angrily poking at the fire. "Kagome…C'mon…I'm sorry, its just that…"

"Just be quiet for a moment won't you?" Kagome laughed wetly, and he could see her wipe away her tears with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, you know? I…it just seems like I can't ever say the right thing. I mean…I just never know when to shut up, ne?"

Inuyasha stared down at her, and then pushed himself down to land on the ground with a soft thump. Slowly, he walked over and reached out to touch her on the shoulder. As if sensing his movement, she shied away, and kept her back to him. "Not right now." Inuyasha moved back, and then headed over to the sleeping monk and demon, kicking the monk in the side. 

"C'mon bouzo, time to get off your ass. You too Sango." Inuyasha growled, and leapt back up in to the tree. Turning his eyes to Kagome, he demanded. "You gonna make breakfast?" 

Kagome glared up at him, and then flounced off to make ramen, silently cursing his high and mighty arrogant behavior.

\\

Kagome watched as Inuyasha walked ahead on the narrow rocky path, hands stuffed in the wide bell like sleeves of his fire rat over shirt. The entire time they had traveled that day, not a word was spoken between them, and the entire group could feel the tension. Finally, Kagome sighed, and trotted up to her friend, and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Please Inuyasha, just talk to me for a second?" The uncharacteristically soft voice made him slow his steps, and turn slowly to her, his eyes guarded, and his face blank. 

"Yeah?" Inuyasha stared down at her, and she sighed heavily, before reaching a hand up to gently touch his cheek. 

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry about what I said, all right, and I know that-"

"Look out!" The loud cry from Sango made Inuyasha jerk Kagome back behind him, slamming her against the hard rock of the side of the road. 

"Feathers of steel!" The breath rushed out of her lungs, and she let out a startled cry as she saw Inuyasha's face contort in pain and a groan escape his lips. Sharp clacking sounds made her notice metal-like feathers that were imbedded in the rock around them. Looking past him, she saw the ugly bird like demon flapping its enormous wings to stay up as it watched them with eerily intelligent eyes. Kagome swung her gaze back to Inuyasha when she felt the warm liquid coating the t-shirt that she was wearing. 

"Oh god." She choked out, seeing the blood dripping freely from the gaping holes in his stomach. Wide frightened eyes met the fiery amber ones of Inuyasha, and he let out a low growl. Not having another chance to say anything else, she was pushed away, and in to the arms of Miroku. 

"You picked the wrong demon to mess with, bird-brain…" 

Wow, review Reponses. I'm lazy. Get over it. Go to my live journal, and leave a comment, onegai. **www . livejournal. com / users / crimsondemon /**

**Katsumi and Inu-** Sad? I don't understand… Gah…thinking…bad!!

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Amreld- Hey- Love your story so far, and you need to update, or else, I'll send the monk after you…Oh wait…He'd enjoy that too much… *sigh*

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MikoPandora- I'll email it to you, okay?

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Elydewen **Startree**- Yeah…I need to work on that… Blah… 

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Aamalie- Gah, I know what you mean. I try to draw guys, and they all end up with womanly hips… ewww…

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DemonGirlofInuayasha- Thankies! Hope you enjoyed this!

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Rogue-**Cowgirl**- yeah…I'd give spoilers, but there should be some more coming up… later…

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Ghoul **King**- No! Corwin! ::Sobs, then stops:: Hey! I thought he was dead! I didn't think the dead could die again… I'm confussezled. It happens. Feh. And yah…I need to work on my writing… It is contrived as you put it… ::sigh::

__

To everyone else who reviewed, I'm sorry, I didn't have time to type up responses… Gomen, gomen…

Catrin: No, you're just lazy and tired from track…

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Shut up. You weren't there.

Catrin: Huh… I bet… Nyah-nyah.

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I hate you…


	8. Chapter 8

I know. I've been gone forever, and you all probably thought that I had abandon the story. I haven't. I'm just lazy, and preoccupied, and busy, and gosh darn it, I have a life!! *cough* Okay, well then… End that rant.

This chapter may offend some people, but I'm past the point of caring. . It's rated PG-13 for a reason, and I tried to not make it anything near R. So hopefully, this is good… Eh…I'm not totally happy with this chapter, but I really tried hard. Sorry for the long wait, I'll try to work harder on getting the next the next one up faster….And try to wrap this up…. Also, I'm going to try and stay away from review responses, sorry, but they've become too much hastle to type up…. I want to get the chapters up as fast as possible for you guys, and review responses take a while. I'll still put the life-threatening ones, ^.^ and thank-you's but no big ones unless I have to. 

Ta-

-CD

++++++++++++++

Her eyes slid down to her blood-coated shirt, and she touched it with a trembling hand, before she then looked up at the demon. The creature had no discernible limbs except for the long, jagged wings, which had bright silver feathers on them, the sunlight flashing off them, like a million of miniature mirrors. Gnarled and thick legs protruded just beneath the bottom of the wings. _I-is that blood? Oh gods…Never mind, I don't want to know…_Kagome hurriedly wiped the blood off of her hands, not noticing how it smeared across her hands. Her eyes continued their study of the monster. A bulging mass, which she supposed was his body, and a lopsided head with eyes that glowed an eerie green and a wicked looking beak coated in dry blood. The smell of decaying flesh reached her nose seconds after the demon's arrival, and she instinctively covered her nose. 

With an arrogant smile, Inuyasha flicked the hilt of the Tetsusaiga with a single claw, and ignored the pinching in his side, he crouched, awaiting the attack. "You reek of Naraku…" He growled lowly, eyes glinting dangerously. "Is he still sending those weak little brats to do the dirty work he won't do?" Unnoticed by the demon who was preoccupied with the hanyou's taunting, Sango unstrapped her bone boomerang, and Miroku placed a cautious hand on his cursed one.

When Naraku's incarnation retorted, it took all of the self-control that the group had to not cover their ears, to block the horrible sound. "You dare to insult me, little hanyou?" It's wings flapped harder, and the demon rose in to the air. "I shall take great pleasure in ripping out your innards and feasting upon your still beating heart." 

__

How are we supposed to stop this thing? All the other incarnations haven't had this much_ raw power…And it's making me sick…_Stepping back, Kagome reached out a hand, signaling that she wanted her bow-which Sango still held. Feeling slightly better with the comforting weight of the weapon in her hands, she notched an arrow, and drew the string back so that it was taunt. _Deep breath…_Focusing, she aimed at the monstrosity, and then let the arrow loose with a sharp twang of the string. _C'mon! Please hit! _Pure pink energy hissed past, and struck the demon solidly in the right wing, with a sizzle of flesh and steel. A surprised scream of both pain and anger escaped the beaked mouth, as it turned sharply, facing the girl with hateful eyes.

"You…You are the one the Master warned me of….I shall remember this, and personally rip you to pieces soon enough. This I promise…" With that, it disappeared with out a trace.

Loss of blood was beginning to make the hanyou's mind sluggish and slow as he turned enough to glare at the group in anger. "W-why the hell'd you do that?! I could've taken him, it was just a wimpy-" Sheathing his sword, he swayed perilously, his all too apparent lack of cohesiveness making it hard to take him serious. He ducked his head down, and grappled for a protruding rock, gripping it tightly, as his head fell forward, inadvertently shadowing his eyes with his bangs. "Damn it…" 

Dropping her bow and arrows from numb hands with a soft clatter, she rushed forward as his head dropped down, and he came perilously close to toppling over on to his face. Vaguely she could feel his weight being lifted off of her, and then Sango and Miroku each slipped their arms under him to support him. "W-we've got to get him-"

Trying to jerk away from his self-appointed helpers, he turned his head away. "Leave me alone…I'm fine."

Anger rushed through her, he dared to say _that_, when he had a gaping hole in his back, and he was bleeding all over the ground? "Shut up, Inuyasha…" She sighed, looking up in to his stormy amber eyes, jumping when he growled and his grip tightened on the rock that he was holding on to- cracking it loudly. "Gods, Inuyasha, stop it! You're going to hurt yourself even more!" She huffed in irritation. "Now turn around." The fire rat coat had protected him from some of the damage, but there were deep wounds in his lower back, showing where the odd feathers had hit him solidly. The white undershirt was a ripped and torn mess, stained with blood, barely enough material to call it a shirt. "C'mon." Tugging on his arm gently, she pulled him over to the backpack, totally unaware of the fact that she was also dragging Sango and Miroku who were still holding the wounded hanyou up. 

Inuyasha cut her off, placing a clawed hand over her mouth, effectively stifling all her protests. "Woman, you worry too much. I'm fine- have been and always will be. Now lets go before Naraku sends any more of his idiotic incarnations after us, all right?"

\\

"Wow, your back must hurt so much…" Kagome breathed as she smoothed a healing balm over the deep wounds that had partially healed. She heard a derisive snort as she carefully made sure to get all the goop on the wounds, before placing some gauze on it. He winced almost unperceptive as she accidentally hit a tender spot, and she kissed his shoulder blade gently in apology. "Sorry, I didn't realize that spot was tender." 

"Feh." Inuyasha let a wry grin cross his lips as he pushed himself up to sit cross-legged on the wooden planks of the small hut that they had found after the encounter with the youkai. Gently as was humanly possible, she wound the bandage around his toned stomach, slowly making her way up to the middle of his back, brushing back the long silver hair that threatened to get caught in the sticky bandage. "You worry way too much, ya know that wench?" 

Miroku ducked in to the hut, a smile on his face, as he let the flap close. "I'm almost beginning to _like_ the curse…" 

Kagome rolled her eyes, and stretched as she sat there. "Let me guess…You got to peep on Sango while she was bathing, and not get caught?" Inuyasha and Miroku turned stunned eyes to the young miko, the same thought running through their minds,_ She's spent too much time around the monk._

And, _I think that Kagome-sama is spending too much time around me… _She yawned, not noticing the two men, and watched as he pulled the white undershirt up to examine. "It's a mess Inuyasha. You're going to have to wash it out…" He made a face, and pushed himself up with a small groan. "W-want me to come with you?" Kagome shyly raised her eyes to his, and a soft blush tinted her cheeks. 

Inuyasha flashed her a fanged grin, full of promises and mischief, and she hurried after him, a bright smile on her face. Miroku rolled his eyes at the two, and let himself lean back on the rickety wall. _Those two are going to be gone all night probably- even though it's his time to be human. It's a good thing that Inuyasha has finally come to his senses about the young girl. Now, if only I can get Sango to be released from the spell, maybe I have a chance with her._

\\ Late on the 5th night \\

"Are you sure you're all right?" Kagome turned her head to the origin of the voice, pushing herself up on a hand as she pulled the red over shirt closer around her body. Inuyasha looked up at her with his violet eyes, his head pillowed on her huge backpack, a small smile playing on his lips. **_{1}_**

"Oh yes…better then ever…" 

He lifted up a human hand to stroke the bite mark, which had been placed at the juncture of her shoulder and neck. "Does it hurt much?" Kagome shook her head, and smiled sleepily, moving closer, snuggling up to his body. Slipping an arm around her waist, he idly let his fingers toy with the tips of her wavy dark hair, silent for a moment. "You do know what this means, right?" 

Kagome nodded again, and wrapped an arm loosely around his bare chest. "Old Myouga told me about the marking, and the consequences- good and bad. He said that our souls are forever intertwined, and that even if I wanted to get away from you, I'm stuck with _you_…" Inuyasha laughed, and Kagome felt her eyes drift shut. "I kinda inferred that…trust me though, I'd not have it any other way…" Kagome relaxed against him, falling in to a deep sleep. 

Shifting in to a more comfortable position, he wrapped both arms around her, and closed his own eyes. He wouldn't sleep this night, not when he was most vulnerable, but he would relish the few and far between moments that he got alone with Kagome…

\\

__

Something's wrong…Kagome rubbed her eyes and sat up; looking around in the dim light of the slowly rising sun. _Where's Inuyasha? I thought I felt a surge of ki come through me, and-oh._

Pushing herself up, she tied the red hakema tight around her body, noticing how it fell almost past her knees. Walking carefully over the dew damp grass, she approached Inuyasha, gently laying a small hand on his arm. "Hey, are you alright?" 

Inuyasha looked back at her, and slipped a human hand in to hers, intertwining their fingers. Turning his body to face hers, he looked down at her, silent for a moment, his violet eyes unreadable as he towered over her. Still silent, he slipped her other hand so it was intertwined like the first. Kagome glanced down at them, and then up at him, confusion plain on her face. Bending down, he stopped when their lips were barely a hairbreadth apart. "The sun's rising…" He murmured slowly, his face still expressionless. Lifting their hands up slightly, he felt the pinpricks though out his body that announced the returning of his demon blood. Bending down swiftly, he pressed his lips against hers, and closed his eyes. 

Kagome gave a startled gasp, but didn't resist him as he tightened his grip on her hands. 

His blood seemed to boil in his veins as he felt the changes in his human body. Nails lengthened to form sharp claws, and he could feel his demon powers returning. Kagome drew in a sharp breath, as she felt his youki burst out, and almost instantly mesh with her own miko energy. Her eyes flew open, and he kept their hands tightly clasped together, his mouth sealed over hers, still kissing her. Kagome let out a soft moan, feeling him slant his mouth over hers, and she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him back. 

Silver and raven hair swirled in a rush of power, both miko and youkai alike. Pulling back briefly for a breath, Kagome met the glowing amber eyes of the dog demon, and tilted her head to the side, inquisitively. "D-did I know we could do that?" She asked shakily, feeling the almost electric currents of power flow through her body, tingling oddly. 

Inuyasha looked just as surprised, and he shrugged. "I don't know… I-…" 

The wind still had not died down, and Kagome blinked. "It feels so weird…I can feel your powers, your energy-youki, whatever it's called. Its almost like it's a part of my miko powers." She leaned up, and brushed another kiss over his lips. "Do you know what that was?" 

Inuyasha shook his head, and then sighed, "No, I don't, but it was…Interesting…" the hanyou glanced around, seemingly looking for something, and then focused on Kagome. "Let's head back to the others, and make sure Sango hasn't jumped that idiot yet…"

\\

"Am I the only one who is-" 

"Shut **_up_** Miroku! Whine, whine, whine, all ya do is whine, and its pissin' me off!" 

"Miroku- seriously, you're one of my best friends, but even _I'm_ getting a headache. We all decided that we'd hurry and make it back to Kaede's tonight, and-"

"_Fine…_" A brief pause. "But wouldn't it be good if-" 

"MI_ROKU_!"

\\

Kagome, as soon as she stepped in to the village, was accosted by a russet ball of fluff. "Kagome!" Was the muffled cry, as Shippou buried his head in her chest, and snuggled close. Inuyasha silently cursed the little kitsune, and walked over, yanking him up by the tail. "Hey! Lemme go!"

"Back off brat. We just got here, and you'll have plenty of time to be obnoxious later." He tossed the kit down, and headed in to the village, ignoring the surprised stares he knew he was getting from his companions. "C'mon, lets get going." 

Kagome laughed, and scooped up the kit, cradling him close. "I missed you too, Shippou-chan." Her voice was low and soothing to the young fox, and he pressed his ear close to her heart, listening to it contentedly. "Hey, lets go- oh no." 

Miroku was staring straight in to the village, where there was a group of women gathering, each whispering and giggling excitedly. Snippets of the whispers reached their ears. "Look, a _houshi_…" 

"Ohhhh, a handsome one…" 

"I'd like to-"

Sango growled, a very impressive feat for a human woman. "Back off- he's _mine_!" 

Um…Territorial? _Not_ good. Miroku resisted the urge to slap his forehead, and settled for a soft sigh.

Kagome groaned, and saw the monk's eyes widen as the group of women advanced, not-so-nice looks on their faces. "N-now ladies, I'm sure that we can come to an agreement, and that-"

"_Agreement_," One of the women chuckled, and then said. "I have something-"

"-get away from my man!" A busty young woman, no more then fifteen, snapped irritably to the first. Eyes turned to her, and she stalked forward, ignoring the twitching eyebrow of the demon slayer. "Soo, how about you and I go and…mmm…do some-" 

Sango whipped out her sword, and crouched defensively. "Back off girl, or I'll gladly slit your throat-"

Kagome nearly screamed in frustration, instead settling for the one thing that she hoped would stop this madness. "Inuyashaaaaaa!"

Inuyasha whirled around after hearing Kagome's cry, ears pricked up. _Stupid pervert. I'm gonna kill him if he even leaves a single fingerprint on- Holy Kami in heaven. _His ears swiveled as he tried to catch any sound of what was going on, and then he abruptly stopped at the scene before him. Kagome holding a hysterically giggling Shippou, while staring at Miroku and Sango, who both were being backed up against a tree. Even at his distance, he could catch the appreciative murmurs from the crowd of women, both young and _old_. 

"Gods, this is all that idiots fault," Glaring dangerously, he pushed through the women, coming to a stop before all of them. "What the hell is going on?!" 

All of the women stopped, staring at the annoyed demon, some in fear, and some in disgust. "Oi- what're you lookin' at?" He stalked forward, and grabbed Miroku by the front of his robes, growling threateningly. "C'mon, we're gonna talk now."

Miroku had little time to hiss out a, 'oh hell' before he was dragged by the half demon, in to Inuyasha's Forest. Sango gave a last death glare to all of the women left, and then followed the two men, vaguely of Kagome following. 

Once the hanyou had deemed that they were far enough away from the women of the village, he slammed Miroku up against a tree, and barely aware of the beyond angry growl that trickled from his throat. "This is enough." He snarled. "At first I didn't care that you got your sorry ass cursed, but when it puts Kagome… and Sango in danger, it goes too far!" 

Kagome grinned slightly at the possessive tone that her best friend, and lover, took as he spoke of her, and then she let the expression fall. "Inuyasha-be nice. It's not Miroku-sama's fault that he-"

"Yes, it sure as hell is!" He whirled to face her, hands still clenched in the monks robes. "Its his fault that he got cursed, and-"

"Sceeeew-Thwack!" **_{2}_**

Sango jumped up, and to the left as she felt the energy whiz past her, and hit a tree, exploding it in to thousands of splinters. Kagome let loose a cry of fear, and scrambled to get out of the way, feeling the sharp pieces of wood cut her skin.

Frantic, she looked around, and spotted the reason for the tree exploding. A girl with smoking fingertips stood there, Naraku behind her, the large demon bird from before, along with Kanna. "Oh no." Kagome breathed, freezing in her spot. Inuyasha growled again, as he let the monk go, and turned to face their new arrivals. 

Kanna held the mirror out before her, and Sango let out a cross between a breathless squeak, and a startled scream. Violet eyes swept toward her, and Miroku cursed loudly, "Damn it- no! Sango!" 

***End Chapter***

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1 This idea was inspired by Dhruid who is one of my all time fav's when it come's to Kagome and Inuyasha fan art. I 3 her. 

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2 Yah… My sound effect up there… it sucked… badly.

Jeez, I really don't like myself. I tried and tried to revise the little bastard, but this didn't want to come out the way I wanted it to!!!!! *Sobs* Ghoul King- I know, I know, it's contrived. Or at least _I _think that it is. It's painful. Sorry all…more updates when I can get to them. Grr… 

-CD


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